FIELDER’S CHOICES: Get the scoreboard ready for small-school title games
Hopefully Damonte Ranch has stocked up on light bulbs for its football scoreboard.
Pahranagat Valley and Coleville will put that board and the fingers of its operator to the test Saturday when they meet in the Class 1A state title game.
The Panthers and Wolves put up 202 points in a semifinal last year, and both teams have offenses that are just as good this year.
And that’s only the first game of the day at Damonte Ranch. Moapa Valley and Truckee follow in the 3A championship and The Meadows and Battle Mountain meet for the 2A title.
It’s a lot of football, and a long drive on a Friday night/Saturday morning. But it’s worth it.
Hopefully these picks are, too.
Pahranagat Valley (9-0) vs. Coleville (11-0)
The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association should just make a rule saying first team to 100 points wins.
Coleville, which is small but really, really fast, has scored 850 points this season. That’s, like ... a whole lot, and it includes a 76-0 win over Tonopah last week.
Pahranagat has scored 46 or more in every game and reached 72 points or more three times.
But this year’s Panthers are a little more defensive-minded. They’ve still got a great offense with guys like Jensen Jones and Cody Hosier. It’s just that they don’t need to keep scoring.
Pahranagat Valley has won every game by at least 32 points.
That defense will be tested big-time Saturday. Call me weird, but I’m thinking neither team gets to 70.
And I’m thinking the Panthers add a football title to the volleyball crown the school won last week. Pahranagat Valley by 10.
Moapa Valley (7-3) vs. Truckee (11-0)
Gotta love it when teams from California are playing for Nevada titles. First Coleville, then Truckee.
The Wolverines belong in the title game. They gave up points last week — eight of them — bringing their total allowed all season to 60.
Moapa Valley’s defense is off the charts. The Pirates held Fernley (which had scored 171 points in its last four games) off the scoreboard last week.
In the last six weeks, Moapa’s opponents have scored a total of 27 points.
Kelan Weiss and Matt Newton lead an offense that can put up points in bunches. See last week’s 36-point second half against Fernley for proof.
From what I hear, Truckee’s offense is really good, too. (I’m not allowed to go to California anymore, so I haven’t seen it for myself.) Ben Bolton threw for 236 yards against Boulder City last week.
This is becoming a nice little rivalry in a little classification. Moapa beat Truckee in last year’s title game. This one will be tougher, but I can’t pick a California team. Moapa Valley by 4.
The Meadows (10-1) vs. Battle Mountain (9-2)
If everything goes the South’s way Saturday, three teams will repeat as state champions, and The Meadows might just be the most surprising among them.
The Mustangs were good, but were caught a bit by surprise when their starting quarterback transferred schools. The Meadows hasn’t missed a beat, finding new heroes like Garrett Gosse and Austin Brown.
The Meadows has had a handful of blowout victories, but also had to battle to win games against Needles (twice), Calvary Chapel and Pershing County.
In case you’re wondering, the loss was to La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day, apparently one of the few California schools not eligible for an NIAA title.
Battle Mountain is big and can grind the ball on offense. The Longhorns simply wore out Mountain View last week.
If Mike Lake and the Longhorns go on long drives this week, it means trouble for The Meadows.
I hope I’m wrong, but I’m just not convinced by the Mustangs. They’ll keep it close. Battle Mountain by 4.
